Are you suffering from mouth ulcers and painful rashes on your hand and feet? You may be having a condition called Hand Foot and Mouth Disease. Read on to know all about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of this disorder. There are also some Hand Foot and Mouth Disease images that you will find useful for reference.

What Is Hand Foot and Mouth Disease?

Picture 1 – Hand Foot and Mouth DiseaseSource – askdrsears

It is a well known viral infection that affects people during the spring and autumn seasons. Children, especially those between 6 months and 3 years of age, are the most common victims of this condition though it also affects many adults.

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease is also known as ‘Coxsackievirus Infection’ and ‘Hoof and Mouth Disease’.

What Causes Hand Foot and Mouth Disease?

It arises from infection by various members of the Enterovirus family. The Coxsackievirus A16, a member of genus Enterovirus, is the main causative factor for this disease. In some cases, it also results from an Enterovirus 71 infection.

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak is common in schools and daycare centers. These are crowded places and naturally, have a high transference of viruses and germs.

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease Symptoms

Rash

Rashes are the most visible Hand Foot and Mouth Disease symptoms in children. The rashes appear as small blisters on hand and feet. In Hand Foot and Mouth Disease infants have rashes on their buttock. These are tender and often found to be painful on touch. Rashes on buttocks arise after a bout of Diarrhea and are one of the major symptoms of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease in Children.

Fever

It is one of the most visible Hand Foot and Mouth Disease symptoms in adults as well as children. The sufferer experiences high body temperatures in Foot Mouth Hand Disease.

Headache

Higher body temperatures are usually accompanied by headache. There is a mild or acute pain in the head of sufferers.

Sore Throat

These give rise to soreness in the throat and oral region. Sore throat is one of the common Hand Foot Mouth Disease Symptoms.

Sores

In sufferers of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease gums, tongue, tonsils and throat are seen to be covered with rashes. The ulcers in the mouth hurt a lot and cause discomfort and pain while eating.

Loss of Appetite

Individuals having this condition also experience a loss of eating sensation. This also leads to temporary weight loss in suffering individuals.

Vomiting

The disease also causes Diarrhea in sufferers. In patients of hand foot and mouth disease vomiting sensation follows after a bout of Diarrhea.

Who Can Get Hand Foot and Mouth Disease?

Chilodren below 10 years of age are mainly susceptible to this syndrome. Adults who have never had this condition during their childhood are also at risk. However, the disease can also appear in one-time sufferers due to infection by a different member of the Enterovirus family.

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease Incubation Period

The incubation period of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease is quite short. The symptoms take 3-7 days to appear after the onset of infection.

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease Diagnosis

Physical examination is usually enough for diagnosing Hand Foot and Mouth Disease. The medical history of the patient is also taken into account. Due to a delay in the report, blood tests are not done. But they may be carried out if the doctor suspects a different condition to be the cause of these symptoms.

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease Differential Diagnosis

The differential diagnosis for Hand Foot and Mouth Disease involve distinguishing the condition from similar disorders like

Chicken Pox,

Herpangina,

Kawasaki Disease,

Stevens Johnson Syndrome,

Herpes Zoster Infection

Oral Herpesvirus Infection.

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease Treatment

Picture 3 – Hand Foot and Mouth Disease ImageSource – newsmild

Due to the viral nature of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease antibiotics are ineffectual. Treatment mainly involves reducing the effect of the symptoms of the condition until the rashes resolve themselves. Over the counter drugs like Tylenol (Acetaminophen) and Ibuprofen can be used to reduce fever and painful symptoms. Benadryl can also be used to treat the blisters. However, topical drugs are not usually recommended as they prevent rashes from drying naturally.

In case of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease in toddlers or young children below 12 years of age, Aspirin should not be used. Aspirin is effective as a Hand Foot and Mouth Disease cure for viral fever in adults.

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease Natural Treatment

Some of the most popular natural Hand Foot and Mouth Disease remedies include

Saline Mouth Washes

Mix 1 tsp of salt to a glass of warm water. Rinse mouth with this solution for two times every day. Take care that an affected child spits out the solution and does not swallow it.

Drinking Fluids

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease often lead to dehydration in sufferers. People with this syndrome must drink plenty of fluids to keep themselves hydrated. Cold milk products are the best choice for fluids. It is not recommended to give sodas and juices to kids. The high acid content in these liquids can cause burning pain in the ulcers.

Baths

Bathing with luke-warm water helps keep the body temperature down in sufferers.

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease Prevention

You can avoid contracting the disease in two ways. It is best to keep away from people affected with this syndrome. If that is not possible and the person happens to be someone in your family, you should wash your hands before and after you treat him or her. It is also advisable that you avoid using the objects and clothes of the individual for some time.

How Long Does Hand Foot and Mouth Disease Last In Adults And Children?

Unless there is a severe infection, Hand Foot and Mouth Disease lasts for a little over a week. In older kids and adults, the infection is typically very mild and continues for around a week or more.

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease Complications

The major complications of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease are Dehydration and Febrile seizures. The disease is found to make sufferers suffer from a lack of water in their system. Dehydration mainly occurs in children who vomit and suffer from Diarrhea. Many of them also suffer from seizures in a state of fever. In serious cases, the patient may also suffer from convulsions.

In infants under 4 weeks of age suffering from Hand Foot and Mouth Disease fingernail and toenail loss is quite common. In Hand Foot and Mouth Disease nail loss is temporary. It is still unclear whether this nail loss is a result of Enteroviral Infection.

Is Hand Foot and Mouth Disease Contagious?

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease is contagious. It can spread from one person to another. An unaffected person may contract the disease by coming in contact with the saliva, blister fluids, stools, nasal discharge, throat discharge of an infected child or adult.

Can Hand Foot And Mouth Disease Relapse?

Can a child get Hand Foot and Mouth Disease more than once? No. In Hand Foot and Mouth Disease recurrence is unlikely. Patients once exposed to Enterovirus develop immunity towards it. This is the reason why people do not get Hand Foot and Mouth Disease twice.

In rare cases, however, one can have this condition more than once. This happens if another member of the Enterovirus family infects the individual. In spite of developing immunity to one type of virus, the patient can fall prey to Hand Foot and Mouth Disease once again due to this new viral infection.

Is Hand Foot and Mouth Disease Deadly?

Is Hand Foot and Mouth Disease dangerous? The answer is yes. Hand Foot and Mouth Disease is not a deadly disease in itself. However, it can lead to neurological complications in some sufferers. Patients may be needed to be hospitalized in such cases. If not treated in time, these can result in death of the sufferers.

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease and Pregnancy

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease during pregnancy can affect the health of the child adversely. There can be cases of spontaneous abortion. Enteroviral attack in the third semester can give rise to Hand Foot and Mouth Disease in babies during the first month after birth.

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease in pregnancy is very serious for the health of the unborn baby. In pregnant women, the virus can be transmitted through the placenta of the mother and affect the child. In case of a Coxsackie virus type A infection, there can be fetal deformities. The child may be born with some defects. Virus A infection in third semester can lead to the birth of a stillborn baby in some cases.

Coxsackie virus B infection does not give rise to any physical deformity in the infant. However, the child may suffer from mild fever and Meningitis Encephalitis, Epilepsy and Myocarditis in severe cases. Liver necrosis can also result in death in infants suffering from Hand Foot and Mouth Disease.

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease can affect pregnant women only if they have not suffered from it during their childhood. Pregnant women should keep away from crowded places, avoid contact with HFMD infected people and also refrain from using contaminated clothes and objects. They should also wash hands properly before eating.

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease Pictures

Curious to know what does hand foot and mouth disease look like? Here are some useful Hand Foot and Mouth Disease photos. Check out these Pictures of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease and know how Hand Foot and Mouth Disease rash on body looks like.

If you are having Hand Foot and Mouth Disease or have anyone in your family suffering from it, try home remedies. But in case of complications such as pain in the arms, neck or legs, it is better to call a doctor. Timely medical assistance is very necessary to keep serious health complications at bay. Make sure that you act early to make yourself or your dear one bounce back to health with the least complications.